The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-07-23
ANOTHER "HERETIO."
By REV. NJ. W. TABOR.


ing upward and outward into great
plant; light to displsce darkness; the
bounds of Christ's kingdom to widen.
Such has been our thought as the result
of certain events, which for time we
have watched with considerable interest
lie before us.
For nearly three years, the Rev J. L.
Corning has been pastor Of the Oongre-
gstionsl church in this city. A man of In
tellectual strength; an eloquent, fluent
speaker, broad and liberal in bis views,
he soon drew around him large congre-
cation of the liberal minded, who rejoic-
ed exceedingly in his ministry. But
while this has been the case, there has
also been small company who have not
rejoiced. As the Israelites longed for the
leeks and fesh-pots OF Egypt, 30 they
have longed for the old time statenents
of theology, for the comfortings which
the teachings OF the ancient creed, which
Mr.. Corning had tossed up into the
church attic and left to be hidden by
the dust and cob-webs, afforded. Be-
cause of this longing they have grown
very restless, until at last, against the
wishes of fully nine-tenths of his people
the pastor hae felt it his duty to resign.
On Sunday morning, June 10, the last
Sunday but one on which MIR. Corning
occupied the pulpit, he gave discourse
setting forth his convictions, which was
not only statement of the belief into
which he has grown, but was likewise
an answer to the foolish assertions of a
few OF his people that she Is not a Chris
tan, and ought not to preach in Chris
tian church" We quote from his SER
mon as reported in the Evening Gazette,
which editorially remarks that it was q
"brave and manly sermon"
Speaking of the "call to preach" and
the function of the preacher, Mr.. Corn
ing said:
Ever since there has been a church in
the world great deal OF talk has been
had concerning ga divine call to preach"
till one has almost come to look for some
angelic personality out of the upper airs
bearing COMM ssions to men signed with
the autograph of the Infinite One.
Superstition and credulity have made
some grievous blunders In this relation,
and multitudes of men who felt them
selves called to the ministry, upon an
honest ballot both by the church and the
world, would be sent to the pillow, the
mechanics bench or the bridesmaids
counter.
Il x * y
The essential thing to keep in mind is
that fitness of faculty and function to one
another is factor which outranks all
others. When this fitness OF faculty
becomes a thing of consciousness then
the divine voice is uttered, then the
divine commission is issued and the
divir q autograph written. Such divine
call as this had Paul of Tarsus, whatever
other intimations and commissions he
may or may not have had. This was
the necessity" which was laid upon
him, pressure not from without but
from within, an impulse as natural as
that of bird to fly, or fish to swim
Earth receives benediction indeed when
an apostle comes to it in such fashion.
| Had Jesus been called to examine into
the qualifications of candidate for the
ministry is it to be supposed that he
would have followed the methods which
have prevailed in modern times2 Can it
be believed that he would have put the
candidate through a fiery ordeal of in
quest concerning the plenary inspira-
ton of Moses and Solomon, concerning
the tri-personality of the God-head, con-
corning foreordination and other kindred
topics against whose flinty sides theolo-
gians have been cracking one snother's
skulls for these centuries past?
What hypothesis could be more incred-
ible?
When I was united with the church at
the age OF seventeen was obliged by
the examining committee to give my
"views" on points of theology which a
subsequent study of forty years has not
made any clearer than they were to my
boyish thought. When I was licensed
to preach under the classic elms of Yale
College, / was subjected to similar in
quest only on a more extended scale.
When / was ordained in little Connec-
ticut village very much the same in
quest was had as if three coroners'
inquests we're necessary to substantiate
a corpsel And when say coroner's in
quests I speak with deliberations; for
there never was an autopsy upon postu-
lates SO dead and so superfuous to hon
est living as the typical examination of
candidates for the ministry half centu-
ry gone, specimens of which may still be
met with occasionally at the present
day; albeit the scalpel OF theological dis
section does not commonly cut as deeply
and delicately now as it did aforetime.
More than twenty years ago the trsdi-
tional peculiarities of "orthodox" theolo-
gy had nearly forsaken me, and measur-
ing myself by the dogmatie yard stick
employed at my admission to the church,
at my licensure to preach and at my ordin-
alton, 1 found myself a great deal too
short for any authenticated bed of Pro-
crustes with which my theological educa-
ton had made me familiar